By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
I really like little Namnam Cafe in St. Matthews, but to be honest, the last time I was there it wasn’t easy to concentrate my full attention on the fare.
What was the problem? That was in mid-March of 2020, just days before Gov. Andy Beshear ordered Kentucky restaurants and bars closed to indoor dining.
Continue reading It’s hard to go wrong at Namnam CafeBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
It’s your anniversary! You want to treat your sweetie to a fancy dinner out, but your budget says “Mickey D’s.” What can you do?
It’s true. Dining out at an expensive restaurant can be a memorable experience, but it’s easy to run up your tab.
But there is a way, and it does not involve dine and dash or any other action that could get you in trouble.
Continue reading Eating fancy without paying fancyBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
When a rising young chef at a popular new restaurant earns a James Beard Award nomination as an “emerging chef,” then steps up to serve as executive chef at another exciting new eatery, what would you expect?
When we’re talking about Chef Lawrence Weeks, who garnered the Beard nomination at North of Bourbon in Germantown, and spread his wings to hold down the same role at Enso in Clifton, I would expect great things.
Continue reading Our critic oohs and aahs over EnsoBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
The news that Pete Wells got from his doctor was too alarming to ignore: “My scores were bad across the board,” the physician told the 60-something New York Times restaurant critic.
“My cholesterol, blood sugar and hypertension were worse than I’d expected even in my doomiest moments,” Wells wrote in his Critic’s Notebook column on July 15. “The terms pre-diabetes, fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome were thrown around. I was technically obese. OK, not just technically. I knew I needed to change my life.”
So Wells made a decision that shook restaurant kitchens and food lovers across Gotham and beyond: “After 12 Years of Reviewing Restaurants, I’m Leaving the Table.” (Gift link, no paywall.)
Continue reading Say it ain’t so, PeteBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Every now and then I’ll see an email or social-media ad that inspires immediate action. The new iPhone is available! Two-for-one sale on Häagen-Dazs! And, just the other day, “Tomato season has returned, and so has the beloved Haymarket BLT!”
Continue reading Haymarket lures us with farm-to-table BLTBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
I’m still hearing from readers about my comments in last week’s review about the quality furnishings and spotless, seemingly hand-polished silverware at Perso restaurant in Shelby Park: “Those seemingly smaller signals of attentiveness and care from the moment we sat down signaled management that cares.”
In a way, we could liken dining out to a theater performance: Good food might be the lead actor, a player who struts and frets their hour upon the stage. But from decor and drinks to service and even the restrooms, it takes a quality supporting cast to turn a meal into an unforgettable show.
Continue reading Do sweat the small stuff: It mattersBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
One of the first things I noticed when I took my seat at a table in Perso was the high quality of the table itself: Burnished wood, smooth as silk, it reminded me of the work of Shaker artisans.
Then I unrolled the black cloth napkin and noticed something unusual about the quality stainless flatware: Every surface was mirror-shiny, without a single dishwasher spot in sight, almost as if each piece had been wiped clean by hand before service.
And speaking of service, that was great too: Friendly but not smarmy, attentive but not bothersome, there when we needed them, good with eye contact and a smile.
So what, you say? How about the food?
Continue reading Perso gets the small things and the big things rightBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Just about everyone loves ice cream, and that goes double when a heat dome drops over the country like a gigantic warm blanket that nobody requested.
But that rich scoop of cold, sweet delight becomes a lot less unanimous when it comes to the details: Favorite flavor? Traditional hard frozen and scoopable, soft serve, gelato, frozen custard, sherbet, sorbet, froyo, or something else? Cup or cone or take-home pint? And perhaps the most controversial question, which local shop is No. 1 for you?
Continue reading There’s always room for ice creamBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Louisville seems to be having a ramen renaissance right now, and I am here for it.
Yes. we’ve had access to genuine ramen that didn’t come from a cheap supermarket packet for a while. Of course you can still get your ramen fix at full-service Japanese and other Asian restaurants. And we’re not even talking about all the tasty Vietnamese pho and Thai yum, which are delicious soups-as-a-meal too but entirely different.
But there’s no substitute for those memorable places where the chefs treat ramen as a calling, a spiritual experience that must be done properly and consumed with respect but quickly, before the broth cools.
Continue reading Kiwami brings the ultimate ramenBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
What is the advantage to a restaurant so loud that you can’t easily chat with your partner or maybe even hear yourself think? Maybe someone out there finds this exciting and attractive, but I haven’t found anyone yet who’s a fan.
Continue reading What kind of noise annoys a diner?
